Tale of the Bellflower
by Mistyanna Silvermoon
Summary: Within the confinements of a hidden village on the outskirts of Hyrule, protected in a valley by towering mountain guardians, lives a child known simply as 'Girl'. Adoring the simple, peaceful life of her village, she's unprepared when disaster strikes...
1. Introduction

In the far reaches of a kingdom called Hyrule -where magic, mystery and anything is possible- live wondrous and dangerous creatures. Many kinds of people live there. It is in this beautiful and dangerous kingdom, hidden away deep in their cavern, that a strange race of fish-like creatures, called the Zoras, dwell. Cut off from all other life, they are a carefree bunch, ruled by their gracious king in happiness.

It was there that a young orphan girl was found, mute and cold; a sea turtle and doll her only companions. Out of the kindness and pity in their hearts, they took the girl in as their own, knowing that such a pure tender innocence could bring them no harm. And they were right.

The young girl took a complete liking to them, though she never spoke a word, she did as she was told and quickly learned to live like them. Though she had no gills to breathe as they did, she was a quick learner and a strong swimmer. She adapted quickly to living in the water and eating their food. As well as any Zora child, she swam as fast and agile as the quickest most nimble fish, and could hold her breath for long periods of time below the surface. She befriended many water creatures and they became her life companions, bound by an unspoken bond.

Though, even through all this, she has never said anything to them and her past still remains a mystery, guarded by the pure innocence of unspoken memories.


	2. Girl

The sun was bright and the beautiful ocean of sky was filled with cotton clouds. Birds of all kinds weaved in and out of these clouds playfully chasing one another. It promised a beautiful day indeed.

Sweet smelling grass creased as a gentle wind brushed along it then reached up to kiss the branches of trees towering above. Small flowers at their bases swayed to an unheard beat of nature as small insects flew and crawled amongst them, the small plants like a forest to them. A sweet smell carried over the wind from the beautiful plants, creating a pleasant scent that dazzled anyone nearby.

Girl loved the smell of this area. It was sweet and pure, and the view of the valley below, breathtaking. She could sit up here for hours, under the shady canopy of one of the many trees with cute little flowers woven into the leafy pattern, and just watch the world go by. And she would listen to the sound of the waterfall only a few feet away, bubbling along over the rocks, chuckling in a song no one could recognize, for it was never the same one twice.

Sitting on the soft grass at its edge, she dipped her feet into the cool waters, loving the caress of the shimmering water against her soft, pale skin. She had always adored water, and dreamed of seeing the ocean she had heard so much about. But there was no ocean anywhere nearby.

The little village was built along the side of a valley where the waterfall fed it the water it needed for drink and for their crops to grow. The land here was fertile which was why it made such a perfect spot to live. And it was beautiful. Life of all kinds every direction you looked, if you knew what kind of life to look for that is. Rarely any signs of civilization, it was perfect in all aspects.

Girl looked down the waterfall and across the valley with her bright eyes, shimmering in perfect reflection of the crystal clear waters she so adored. Across the valley, the river the waterfall ran into disappeared, running out to the other side of the mountains. Girl had no idea what lay beyond those mountains, but she had been told it was the grand kingdom of Hyrule, which lay to the south of them.

Her mother had told her much about Hyrule. It was a grand kingdom, with an immense palace where the king and his family lived. Nearby was the Temple of Time, her mother had called it, even though it was much smaller than the palace, it was still a wondrous building and spectacular inside and out. The market square just beyond it was always busy with the bustle of Hyrulians going about their everyday life.

Nearby was a smaller village, though not as grand, it was still just as wondrous due to the huge windmill it possessed. A path from there lead up the huge Death Mountain where it was said strange mountain creatures called Gorons lived. Although they were quite large creatures, they were very kind and gentle, and even fearful of others.

Farther south still was the mysterious cavern of the Zoras; the fish people. They remained hidden away in their domain, so no one really knew what they were like, but it was said they were like fish themselves that could walk on land. Girl always marveled at the tales of these mysterious creatures.

South from there was the Lost Woods and Sacred Forest where a race of small child-like beings called the Kokiri lived. They all possessed strange little fairies and lived in houses made directly out of the trees. They were watched over and protected by a giant tree, she was told, and who had great powers.

To the west lay a ranch where a beautiful maiden with a voice from the heavens resided. Her companions were solely great horses whom she would spend much of her time singing to. Girl wished she could hear such a lovely voice for herself.

Farther west from there lay Lake Hylia. A scientist lives there, tinkering away at strange devices no one could understand and doing strange experiments. Beneath the deep waters, it was said, a temple lay dormant upon the floor of the lake that only the Zoras knew how to enter. It was also the best spot to watch the sun and moon rise from.

Not far away from there, a bit farther up the river that fed the lake, was the Gerudo Valley. The Gerudo are a race of female warriors and very hostile to anyone who would try and enter their valley. Their fortress is said to be build like a labyrinth and filled with their immense hordes of treasure. A giant grate blocks off the only entrance to the desert where another temple lies. But the desert is one of the most dangerous places in the land, which is why the Gerudo allow none to enter. Their special sign is a crescent moon around a star, which seemed quite romantic in Girl's mind.

Pulling the dark purple ribbons –golden bells tied at the ends- from her bright pink hair, Girl set them down on the shore before slipping into the calm pool of water. She waded to where it was deeper before disappearing under the glass-like surface.

The waterfall, which ended in this pool, then ran into a river traveling farther away towards the valley, running down the hillside to the village further down the grassy slopes.

Pink streaked along the bottom of the pool gliding along gray and black rocks like a sleek fish, then Girl popped up from the water with barely a ripple; hair dripping and flat against her back as she slipped out of the pool again. She felt so relaxed when she swam for a moment in the beautiful water there.

Her form-fitting clothes were drenched and clung to her small frame, shimmering in the warm light from the water that drenched them. Her uniform was a pink bodysuit; no-sleeves, reaching halfway to her knees and purple around her shoulders and neck with gold trim.

Brushing a hand through her wet hair, she combed out the tangles with her nimble fingers and then tied it into two tails again with the ribbons she had set aside before. The small golden bells jingled as she did so, a merry little sound that she loved, and stood up slowly. She turned away from the pool and headed, bare-foot, back down the slope towards the village that was her home; her mother would be anxiously awaiting her return of course.


	3. Mommy's Flowers

Girl took her time, walking slowly down the hillside, stopping often to look at a pretty butterfly or bird take flight as she approached or bending down to admire a merry little flower, its scent delicious to her keen nose and beautiful to her adoring large eyes.

She followed the stream, sometimes jumping into the water to rest her feet, enjoying the cool feel of water as it flowed over her skin.

At one point, something furry jumped across her path and she stumbled backwards in surprise landing on her bottom. Looking up with curiosity, she laughed out loud at her realization of the small rabbit looking up at her with questioning little eyes. Girl knelt over and patted his soft fur before the small creature jumped off into another bush and she continued on her way.

Upon reaching the village, Girl skipped along the dirt path, tightly clutching a few bellflowers she had picked, towards a small house right along the riverbank. This was Girl's house. Her mother would be waiting just inside as usual and her father would be coming home soon, as Girl could see the sun was just beginning to disappear; Girl always wondered why the earth swallowed up the sun but then give it back the next morning every time.

She walked up the steps to the doorway with some difficulty -her legs were short and the steps were quite steep to her- and pushed open the large wooden door. As expected, her mother sat at the table just inside the door with sewing in her hand as usual. Girl's mother made all their clothes and even sold some in the village to others to make a bit of money. Though it was mainly father who brought home the money they used to purchase food and other necessities.

"You're home finally. I'm glad," Girl's mother looked up as she entered. She had light blondish hair, with a few streaks of silver showing, and bright blue eyes like Girl's. Her skin was slightly pale and just beginning to show small creases. Her full red lips were curled into a kind, delicate smile and her eyes were warm and bright.

"Mommy, looky!" Girl held out the blue and pink flowers to her mother with a large, proud grin on her face. "Mommy's flowers!" She always called them that, for they were her mother's favorite kind. Her mother's eyes lit up upon seeing them.

"Oh, they're gorgeous. Thank you." Her mother laid down her sewing on the table and gentle took the flowers with a shaky hand. Getting to her feet, she slowly busied herself finding a jar to fill with water and put the flowers in. Having done that, she set them in the center of the table where they caught the fading golden sunlight from the window across the room.

As her mother sat back down again, Girl pushed the door shut and skipped off cheerfully to her room. It was a basic room with a single window and door in a basic house; a small bed, a fireplace to keep it warm in winter, a small table with her own vase of blue bellflowers in it, a worn old red rug and a box with a few dolls in it for her to play with.

She went over to the box of dolls and pulled one out; a crudely made and worn doll with yellow hair of string, black button eyes, a mouth sewn of red thread and a faded pink dress. It was Girl's favorite because of all her dolls; it looked most like her mother.

Sitting down on the rug, she held the doll on her lap and spoke to it in a hushed tone, "Mommy's getting worse, Gili… I saw her hand shaking a lot when I gave mommy her flowers… Daddy says not to worry because she will be fine… but I can tell they are hiding something from me. Mommy promised to take me to the kingdom sometime though when I am older." Girl smiled to herself and then added, "Mommy promised to make sure I even get to see one of those fish-people too. Even though they are hard to find, she says she will find a way just for me."

Hearing the front door open and close, Girl quickly put Gili away and hurried back into the main room. "Daddy!" She ran to him quickly. Her father was a tall, strong-built man with dark brown hair and beard. He lifted her up with ease into his arms, planting a big kiss on her cheek.

"How's my Girl today?" He asked her.

Girl giggled. "Me found Mommy's flower today!" She said proudly pointing to the vase on the table. Her father looked over and nodded.

"So you did. Good girl," he said gruffly, setting her down and patting her head gently. Girl beamed. Her father walked over to where her mother was and sat down beside her with a yawn. "Stifling hot out there," he commented with a sigh of contentment at being home.

Her mother nodded. "It is. Moria has always been complaining about the heat as well. She says it ruins their crops and…" Girl didn't like these kinds of conversations. She could barely understand what they talked about, so she returned to her room to play with her dolls again.

Bending over her toy box, she pulled out Gili again and sat on the bed with the doll again. "Daddy's home now, Gili. He and Mommy are talking. Big people make no sense when they talk."


	4. Demon Wolf

Skipping across the rocks across the river, Girl made sure not to slip on the ones that were wet and was soon on the other side of the bank. Kneeling down in her spot, she looked over the valley. Bellflowers swayed in the breeze on either side of the riverbank flowing down the hillside, marked as splashes of pink and blue along it.

The sun had just fully risen above the horizon and shone brightly, casting a beautiful golden hue over the world spread out before her. It sparkled in her eyes like a golden fire, contrasting the flowing water that shone there originally.

Jumping up, she hurried away from the edge to the waterfall. Her waterfall. Girl never saw anyone else up here but birds, butterflies and rabbits. It was her own little paradise that she only had to share with those few animals. And she was fine with it that way.

Girl had never gotten along well with the other children in her village, so when she went off on her own before, she had been overjoyed to find such a beautiful spring protected by the canopy of trees that watched over her home.

As she pulled the ties from her hair and slipped into the pool, she didn't notice the pair of yellow eyes watching her from behind in amongst the trees and the sweet smelling flowers and grass all around masked the foul stench.

As she emerged once again from the pool as the sun began it's descent, hair and clothes dripping, Girl still didn't notice being watched as she combed out her hair and began to tied the ribbons back in. It was only when something behind her started growling hungrily that she turned.

Girl screamed when she saw the huge demon wolf standing there, ready to pounce on her. And it did. Fangs bared, it jumped for the frightened girl, trying to sink its claws into her.

Girl did the only thing she could think of, she ran. And that's probably what saved her. The demon, which had expected an easy meal of the small child, missed her; its claws grazed her back as it tumbled headfirst into the pool of water.

It splashed around there, trying to get out of the deep water, as Girl turned on her heels and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. She sped through the trees and ran down the hillside on the long way back to the village. The demon crashed through the trees behind her, wet and angry, as it took pursuit of its fleeing prey.

As she ran, Girl stumbled over a rock she had not seen there and fell headfirst into the river. Sputtering, she attempted to drag herself out of the water on the opposite bank than the wolf was on. The bank on the side that her village was on. The wolf, not keen on getting wet again, leapt the gap of the river, landing right before the scared Girl.

She slipped farther into the river as it struck at her with its sharp claws. It missed her face by inches but hit her arm dead on, slashing across the poor girl's thin skin. She screamed and fell back into the cold water, dragged under by the current.

The demon wolf was not about to get its fur wet a second time that day and turned towards better animal prey nearby. The animals that had heard the girl's scream had come, saw, and now fled as the demon took chase after them instead.


	5. Savior Gismay

Below the water's surface, Girl was pulled down to the bottom by the current. Her arm and back felt pain that seared through her whole body and her movement was limited. She was running out of air though and could not survive much longer as the river relentlessly jarred her body against rocks, which sent more pain through her.

Without warning, she felt her stomach hit something hard which pushed her up slowly out of the water into fresh air. She gasped, her lungs begging for air as her whole body was lifted from the water. She sat up slowly, grimacing through pain and looked down in dismay. She sat upon something large and green, smooth like a rock. A small head popped up from the water. The turtle regarded its passenger with curiosity for a moment before slowly beginning to move down the river slowly. For some odd reason, this large creature was unaffected by the river's current, though logic told Girl he should have been pulled along like anything else. But this turtle followed his own logic, moving at his own pace.

"_Are you quite alright, young one?" _A voice popped up in her head and Girl looked around frightfully in surprise. _"Down here. The one you're sitting on," _the voice said in her mind with bemusement. Girl looked down to the turtle she sat upon. Its large eyes stared back at her, blue like the sea filled with ancient wisdom.

"You… talk?" She cried in dismay. Never before had any animal, much less an oversized turtle, spoken to her. She could not believe what was happening.

"_That's one way to put it,"_ the bemused voice sounded again in her mind. _"Only in your mind though, young one," _he added. Girl nodded slowly; though still not understanding how this was possible she accepted the fact, grateful to him for having saved her.

"I'm sorry… I-I've just never met a talking animal before," Girl explained when she finally found her voice once again, though to her it sounded weak and distant and she wasn't sure it was really her own.

"_Don't worry about it. I get that a lot." _In her mind, she could hear him laugh lightly at her comment and she couldn't help but smile.

"_Gismay at your service, young one. Going anywhere in particular?" _He asked politely with curiosity in his voice. If that was even possible since his voice was only words appearing in her mind.

Girl nodded. "My village." She pointed farther downstream towards the dark village. Dark? That wasn't right. There should be lights on now that the sun had gone.

"_You sure? Looks pretty empty to me,"_ Gismay replied dubiously.

"Y-yes… I think so…" Girl spoke softly, frowning. "There should be lights on though," she added. Her heart was pounding in her chest with worry. Her village always had lights on after dark, or they would never see anything. It was common sense.

"_Well, if you're quite certain," _Gismay replied. _"Going that way any way," _He added without concern. _"On my way to Hyrule, don't you know. Nice place there. Ever been there?" _Gismay asked, striking up a light conversation.

Girl looked down at Gismay with wonder. "_You've_ been to Hyrule? What's it like!" She exclaimed excitedly. Never before had she met anyone –or any animal- from Hyrule.

"_Lovely place! You've really never been there? Not far from here at all. I could take you there if you wanted," _Gismay offered kindly. Obviously he couldn't believe she _hadn't_ ever been there.

"Really! That would be amazing!" She exclaimed happily. Traveling along the river like this seemed like a much easier way to get to the kingdom than by the long, winding road her mother had said was the only way they could travel there.

In her mind, she heard Gismay chuckle to himself. _"Spirited young one, aren't you?" _He remarked as they drew closer to the dark buildings of her village.

Both grew silent as they approached the first building. Neither light nor sound came from the house and Girl began to grow tense, a knot forming in her chest. "Are you certain there is anyone here? Seems pretty quiet to me…" Gismay said with concern.

Girl simply nodded and jumped onto the bank, wincing as pain rippled through her back from the force of the movement. "Tell you what, I'll stay here for a bit. Anything happens, you come right back here alright, young one?" Gismay offered. Girl nodded again and walked slowly towards her house.


	6. Birthday Surprise

"Mommy! I'm home!" Girl called out as she pushed the door open. The knot of fear inside her doubled as she looked in her little home. Her mother was not in her usual spot waiting for Girl to come home as she always did; the table was turned out its side, the chair halfway across the room, the sewing torn on the floor and the vase of bellflowers smashed and trampled.

Girl walked slowly past the broken vase, seeing all the flowers she had carefully picked had been stepped on and ruined. She bent down slowly to pick up her mother's sewing but stopped, her hand halfway there. It was a long, pink dress –Girl's favorite color- with lace along the edges; perfectly Girl's size. It was the king of dress the villagers would wear at the festivals every summer and winter. Girl's parents had said they would make her one of her own soon. It was torn and red paw prints covered it now.

Girl backed away and continued to the back of the room, giving it a wide berth. Reaching the doorways at the back, she looked to see her bedroom door and her parent's were both open. They never left the rooms open though. Peeking into her parent's room, she could only make out a strange shape on the ground. It looked like someone sleeping on the floor. Girl was not allowed in her parents' room though and she wasn't going in even if her parents were still out.

Pushing her bedroom door open further, she walked in and stopped. In the corner of the room, her table was upturned and the vase of bellflowers shattered, water spilled around the limp flowers. Her toy box had been tossed aside and the dolls lay scattered across the room, most shredded. Her eyes followed a trickle of red along the floor in front of her –accompanied by more red paw prints- leading towards her bed.

Golden hair streaked with silver spread out around her like a halo and her once bright blue eyes were clouded and stared beyond Girl. Crimson pooled around her over the sheets and dripped on the floor where it ran to Girl's feet. Seeing this, she now knew what she had seen in her parents' room also.

Girl walked to the middle of the room and bend down. Gili was on the floor, a bellflower lying on top of her. All the dolls but this one were shredded into pieces, but Gili was fine. Girl picked up her favorite doll and the flower then knelt down in the pool of blood, cradling them on her lap.

"Guess what Gili?" She spoke in a soft voice, her eyes staring wide and distant. "I'm exactly 6 years old today. Mommy said she would have a big surprise for me when I got home…" Girl stopped for a moment, tears finally welling up in her eyes. "But I don't like Mommy's surprise…"


	7. Rindou's Happy Ending

"_Young one, are you alright?" _Gismay's voice called to Girl as she approached him. _"Did you find-" _Looking up from the water to see Girl's expression, Gismay halted his sentence.

He slowly lifted himself out of the water and allowed her to sit back down on his back. In her hands she clutched a ragged doll and a bellflower. _"Hyrule?" _Was all Gismay asked her and Girl nodded.

Gismay slipped back into the water carefully, keeping Girl and her possessions dry, though she didn't realize how much blood she was covered in now. Paddling along slowly, Gismay left the village, following the river farther downstream to an opening between the mountains in the distance.

The sun had risen by the time Gismay and Girl reached the mountain pass, and the water sparkled gold in the light. Girl had lain down on Gismay's shell and fallen into a troubled sleep halfway through the night. She slept still, clutching her possessions as if her life depended on it. In Girl's mind, it did.

Girl's eyes fluttered opened as Gismay slowed at the end of the pass and she gained her first sight of Hyrule. Gismay had banked himself on a large rock above a small waterfall and Girl could see clearly across the field. Looking every direction she saw a large tree one way, a tall mountain and windmill another way, a ranch directly ahead, and a castle off in the distance another way.

"_Welcome… To Hyrule, young one…" _Gismay said, both a hint of joy and sadness in his voice for Girl. Girl only stared, her eyes full of curiosity, and she held Gili up so the doll could see everything as well.

Turning, Gismay took them down a small stream off to the side, which wove around and ended at the base of the waterfall. He was not about to jump off a waterfall for any reason, especially not with Girl on his back and in such a fragile state of mind.

He rested at the edge of the bank and Girl got off slowly. Gismay inclined his head and looked towards the walkway above them parallel to the waterfall. _"That leads to the Zora's Domain… I think we should stop here for a while." _Gismay explained slowly to the child. Girl looked at him in confusion. Gismay chuckled in her mind. _"You don't think I'm leaving you on my own _now_, do you?"_ Girl smiled faintly and the two of them walked up the path.

The Zoras were gathered together in their king's chambers and looked down at the small, bloody girl and her sea turtle companion. Gismay communicated easily with the Zoras and explained about Girl and why he brought her there.

The Zoras all murmured amongst themselves, nodding. Some regarded the ragged girl with understanding and some with pity. Either way, their words spoken to her were kind and not one of them suggested she leave there.

In a united decision, the Zoras took in the young orphan, Girl, and she was put under the care of a Zora woman, Karan, who had a son about Girl's age.

"What's your name?" The boy, Koran, asked Girl. Girl said nothing, keeping a small distance from the boy, and clutched her doll and flower tightly.

"You don't have one?" He asked in surprise. Girl shook her head quickly. Koran frowned and shifted his weight to one side, regarding her with a thoughtful gaze. His eyes were a shade of pale gray-blue; almost like his faint skin. He looked at the items in her hands.

"You like those?" He indicated to the bellflower that she had salvaged from her home along with Gili, her doll. Girl nodded quickly and Koran beamed.

"Well then, we'll call you Rindou. Mother says that means Bellflower." He fixed his eyes on the girl's for a long moment. Rindou smiled.


End file.
